Written By | Peter Luzinda
Nabbanja said reliable electricity was essential to the government's efforts to transform communities economically, particularly through improved education, agro-processing and job creation
Search
BUTEBO
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has commissioned electricity projects worth more than Shs240 million in Butebo District, aimed at improving power access and reliability for households, public institutions and businesses.
The projects, implemented by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), were commissioned over the weekend in Petete Sub-county during a thanksgiving ceremony for the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Monica Musenero.
One of the projects involved extending the electricity distribution network to Petete Primary School, which had been fully wired internally but remained disconnected from the national grid.
The extension also connected Petete Church, nearby households and the Petete Town Council offices. A new transformer was installed as part of the project.
The second project involved the installation of a 100kVA transformer at a mini-industrial park under construction in Kabarekere Village, near St Paul High School.
According to UEDCL, the industrial park previously lacked adequate electricity infrastructure and depended on a 25kVA single-phase transformer located about 600 metres away.
The existing supply was considered insufficient to meet the park's projected electricity demand of 48kW, prompting the installation of the larger transformer.
UEDCL Managing Director Eng. Joselynne Rwabwogo said the new installation was intended to accommodate growing commercial activity and agro-processing in the area.
“With growing commercial activity and agro-processing in the area, we anticipate increased electricity demand. We have therefore installed a new 100kVA transformer to provide the capacity needed to support industrial and agro-processing activities,” she said.
Nabbanja said reliable electricity was essential to the government's efforts to transform communities economically, particularly through improved education, agro-processing and job creation.
“Access to reliable electricity is key to improving education, supporting agro-processing and creating jobs for our people,” she said.
She thanked UEDCL for connecting Petete Primary School and supporting the industrial park, describing the projects as part of the transformation the government wants to see in Butebo and other parts of the country.
The Prime Minister also encouraged residents to take advantage of improved electricity access to move from subsistence agriculture to commercial farming, value addition and other income-generating activities.
She said increased electricity connectivity should be accompanied by investment in businesses and agro-processing enterprises capable of creating jobs and increasing the value of agricultural produce.
Eng. Rwabwogo said the projects in Butebo were part of UEDCL's broader efforts to address electricity reliability challenges.
She added that the company was conducting stakeholder engagements in different parts of the country to identify service gaps, assess local electricity needs and obtain feedback from local leaders.
The projects are expected to improve electricity access in and around Petete while providing additional capacity for the planned industrial park as commercial and agro-processing activities expand in the district.
